Power
by Syberian Quest
Summary: Power. That one word has more than 30 definitions. But what is it - a gift or a curse?
1. Isabel

**The idea for this was not my own. If you have not, by chance, read SummerShadows' story, **_**What is Love?**_, **go and do it. Now that was a truly brilliant story. I would never, ever copy her story, but I did decide to use her basic idea. All credit goes to her. Playing with character's perspectives and getting into their minds is always thrilling for me. **

**I decided to do these drabbles because it would be good practice. Each chapter will be a new character, and all chapters will be about 500 words. My topic is, quite obviously, power. Each character will talk about what power is to them and how it has affected their lives. I will not copy SummerShadow by having a short poem before each character, but I have decided to include three words that summarize the character. **

XoXoX

**Isabel**

dazzling**debonair**_deleterious_

Power is the knowledge that others are more cowardly than you are.

I have never known anything else to be so entirely true.

Power is a funny word. It surrounds us, but humankind has only made vain attempts at trying to define it. In every case, though, the more of it, the better.

I know many would disagree.

I have heard many a thing said about power. Some have dared to say that true power is forgiveness. That is quite possibly the _most _foolish thing that I have ever heard. What, pray tell, does forgiveness accomplish? Absolutely nothing. Forgiveness is for the weak, the spineless. Forgiveness is for cowards.

Power, on the other hand, is a privilege reserved for only the strongest. This is something that I know all too well. I was born into a world where even a drop of fear would cost you everything. Since the very beginning, power has enshrouded me.

Still, despite this, my experimentations with power did not begin until later. But when they did, no force in the universe could have stopped them. Words cannot describe what it was like. To watch your victim shiver uncontrollably in the frigid, aphotic room with barely visible beads of sweat dripping down their forehead was beyond enthralling. To watch as your words instilled uncontrollable terror into their very core. It was empowering.

Only one obstacle ever stood in my way: fear. But, once that was out of the way, once I had completely vanquished it, there was nothing left to hinder me. I was free. Nothing could control me; nothing could prevent me from fulfilling my destiny. I had the power. And nothing else had ever felt so right.

In the beginning, I had dreamed of one day passing on my legacy to my children. I had stepped back because I had believed that they were capable of delivering. I was wrong. Matters were forced back into my own hands.

Originally, I was appalled at having to, once again, traverse across the globe. Soon, however, the thrill of the hunt caught up with me. Seeing that wretched Cahill girl quiver in fear, to see her brother's eyes widen with terror – it was like coming home.

In merely a few short weeks, I managed to reveal my power in ways no one had ever imagined me capable of doing. The sharks. The propeller. The gauntlet. My power wrapped itself around every single Clue hunter's thoughts, their minds. Maybe even their very souls.

Now, the Clue hunt is over. Some would say that I lost. I may have had power, but I still lost. This, too, I would be forced to disagree with. No one holds the power over me. They are all, and always will be, more cowardly than I am. I still hold the power.

XoXoX


	2. Amy

**Amy**

resilient**reflective**_resplendent_

Ever hear the saying "With great power comes great responsibility"? I'm sure that you have. It's something teachers and adults love to preach at kids, and it's plastered all over the media, even in those dorky T.V. shows that Dan always watches. Only someone living in a hole all their life could have missed hearing it at least once. Okay, maybe that _is _a bit of an exaggeration, but still, if my ignorant little brother, Dan, has heard it, then I'd assume that anyone with half of a brain has, too.

But what does that quote _really _mean? I mean, everyone's heard it, but do they ever take the time to think about how it relates to them, how it impacts their own life? That, I think, is the funny thing. Most people just see the surface of it – it's simply another saying, maybe a few words of wisdom, but it will never apply to them. I know how it is. I once felt like that, too.

Back when my life was "normal," if it ever really was, the word "power" was synonymous with people like the President or the Queen. But Amy Cahill and power? Those two words had about as much in common as potato salad and cauliflower. Well, maybe that's not the _best _example, but still, those two don't mix. Ever.

Anyway, I think that most people feel a lot like I did. To any normal teenager, power is convincing their parents to let them have a later curfew or being allowed to drive their car. For me, though, it was a matter of world domination. And that was the scary thing.

A fourteen-year-old and her eleven-year-old brother chasing after the secret of world power isn't normal. Throughout the whole thing, when we were being chased and hunted down, nearly being killed more times than I could count, I was scared. The danger of the chase itself, though, wasn't the only problem. Winning the Clue hunt seemed a long-shot at best, but during those few times when the idea of winning didn't seem quite so far-fetched, I wondered what I would actually _do _with such power. I mean, can you see _me_, the girl who can't even function in front of a crowd, ruling the world?

And there was another fear. I didn't want to let it out, let it be known, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get rid of it. If I was to be the most powerful, or one of the most powerful, people on Earth, what kind of responsibilities would be placed on my shoulders? What if I made one stupid mistake that wiped out half of the Earth's population? Yes, I know, Dan would be calling me a worry wart right now. Then again, he'd probably just say that I'm covered in warts. Oh, the joys of having a younger brother.

Really, though, any decision that someone in power makes affects so many people! You can use your power for good, like Benjamin Franklin, and help change the world, or you can use it for evil, like Adolph Hitler, and ruin millions of lives. Even then, deciding to do the right thing and following through on it isn't always so easy. There are so many people that started out with good intentions who ended up becoming corrupted along the way. I didn't want to become one of those people never satisfied with what they have, always lusting after power. I didn't want to become someone like Napoleon Bonaparte. Or Isabel Kabra.

Already, Dan and I have been forced to make multiple decisions about what power means to us, how we are going to allow it to affect our lives. At one point, my brother even had the ingredient list to the ultimate source of power in his pant pocket! Life _has_ somewhat returned to normal, but I know that it won't stay this way for much longer. I can sense that in the not-so-distant future we will be forced to make more unbearable decisions, ones that could determine the fate of the world – again. No teenager should have that kind of pressure. Sometimes, when the stress of it all comes crashing down on me, I wish that things could return back to the way that they were before the Clue hunt, but yet, I know that could never possibly happen.

Honestly, I believe that power is the greatest burden that could ever be placed on a person's shoulders.

XoXoX


	3. Dan

**Dan**

risible**rambunctious**_retentive_

What is power? Well, _duh_. It's what keeps the lights going and the T.V. and stuff. Ever heard of a power outage? Man, there was this major one a few years ago. Gah! It was, like, the worst thing ever! I mean, power outages can be kinda cool, especially when Amy starts freaking out, but that time I was right in the middle of breaking my all-time ninja record and BOOM! My little ninja dude is right in the middle of kicking the bad guy's butt, and suddenly the whole thing just dies. Dude, I was _so _ticked off that I…

Oh, sorry. What was the question again? Oh, right – power. Well, like I said, there's electricity power, and then there's, like, ninja power. Ninjas, sumo wrestlers, and all those guys that look like they could eat a kid like me for lunch. But then again, there are plenty of freaky dudes out there that don't wear diapers or carry shurikens. You got guys like the Godfather who just sit there chewing a cigar all day, and everyone's scared stiff of them. I guess it's really all about money. Isn't everything? When you're rich, you can get away with anything. Take the Kabras, for example. Everybody knows that they're two-faced snakes, but nobody can do anything about it. Even if they tried, the Kabras would probably just bribe the government to exile them to Iceland or something. See what I mean? The rich can get away with anything, and I mean absolutely _anything_. I guess the saying is true - money is power. Man, I wish I was rich.

So, are we done here? I know I'm supposed to make some dramatic ending statement, but I'm hungry. I wonder if there are any leftovers from last night? Anyway, I'm just gonna leave it at me not caring as long as there are no more power outages while I'm playing video games. So, yeah. This ninja is off... to the fridge.

XoXoX

**Obviously, this isn't my life's masterpiece, but it's Dan. He's not the kind of kid who's going to stay focused on anything serious for too long, so I decided to make this more humorous. I hope I succeeded. **


	4. Nellie

**Nellie**

upbeat**unique**_unpredictable_

What is power? Hmm. That's a tough one. Like, it's easy to point at someone and say, "Oh, they have power!" but it's hard to actually describe it in words. Even then, power can be different things in different people. Take someone like Barack Obama, for example - politicians, businessmen, diplomats, the works. They have nations, stock markets, and armies under their control. Now that's power. On the other hand, though, you have people like Justin Bieber who have an entire army of fangirls at their command.

These two guys are both perfect examples of powerful people. In fact, both made the 2010 World's Most Influential People list. For crying out loud, Bieber was one place behind Obama! Hey, that's it! I just figured it out. Power is influence. An obvious "duh" moment on my part.

The more influential you are, the more power you have. Yes, I know, it's true, Bieber may not be able to invade a foreign country, so there is a major difference. Still, if he told his fans to invade Iraq or something, some of them might actually do it. Heh. Weird.

Anyway, it's influence that persuades people to follow a certain someone. And where does influence come from? A few places. Money, fame, charisma. Personally, I think that it's all pretty lame. All these things are so fake, so phony. And if you know me, you know that I'm all for being true to yourself. And another thing - some of the most powerful people in history were also the very worst of the worst. Take a look at Hitler. He charmed his way into power, and look what happened. Powerful people can be so deceptive. In fact, they're usually the biggest two-timing snakes around. They put on a façade and hope that people will never discover the _real_ them. They don't want the world to know the ugly truth.

Maybe that's the reason I want to be a diplomat. If I'm gonna change the world, I want to do it while being me. I won't pretend to be something that I'm not. If I'm going to be influential someday, to be powerful, then I want to use it for good, not evil. I'm most definitely not going to be another Isabel Kabra, secretly terrorizing the world. If Nellie Gomez is ever going to be a big-time name, I don't want any strings attached. I guess you could say that's my life goal – being powerful, able to change the world, while still always and forever remaining myself. And absolutely nothing less will do.

XoXoX

**Just to make it clear, I mean absolutely no disrespect to any Justin Bieber fans. I am not one myself, but I was not in any way mocking one who is. He just seemed like the perfect pop star example. Also, I was not trying to bring politics into this. Both simply happen to be prime examples of powerful people, whether you like them or not. **


	5. Natalie

**Natalie**

stunning**superior**_self-assured_

Power is an accessory. It is like a piece of exquisite jewelry that never goes out of style. Anyone who's anybody is sure to have it. And just like an extravagant diamond necklace, no one wants to keep it hidden. When you have it, why not flaunt it?

That's what I was raised to believe. I was told to show off my wealth by flaunting fancy, designer clothing, I was to display my superior knowledge through cunning and strategy, and I was to exhibit my power through sheer ruthlessness. Nothing that reaffirmed my unsurpassed supremacy was to remain hidden.

Power isn't something that you keep a secret. What you do with it, maybe, but power itself? Not at all. The more you flaunt it, the more of it you will have. It is something that a person wears on their sleeve, determining their importance and superiority in the world. All of my life, I've been attending exquisite social events with the upper crust of society, and every time, the guests and hosts are judged by their outward appearances. Who has the flashiest necklace? Who has the most stylish shoes? Who has the fanciest purse? Power is exactly like that. People judge you by how much you have, so you had better flaunt it when you've got it.

Accumulating power is just another hobby of the rich. Just as they collect shoes or antiques, they collect power. The funny thing, though, is that it never gets old. Unlike an outdated pair of shoes, its only use being to adorn the feet of a commoner, power never falls from favor. But, like collecting shoes or with any other hobby, it is a contest. Who has the best? Who has the brightest? Who has the most?

It is simply another rat race.

I was once a part of it; I was one of the top competitors in the contest. Never was I far from the front. The end always seemed to be in sight. Now, however, I feel like giving up. It has finally drained me, worn me down. I've grown tired of it, what it has done to me. I feel like one of those hamsters on a wheel, running forever and ever, but never getting anywhere. That, I suppose, is what finally got to me. It was a sudden realization that made me question everything that I had been born into, everything I had been raised to believe.

This rat race that we are running - it will never, ever end. There are no winners.

XoXoX


	6. Irina

**Irina**

forlorn**fearless**_faded_

Power is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; it will forever remain unattainable. You can chase after it all of your life, but it will never allow itself to be captured.

I have wasted my life chasing that illusive dream. Many times it seemed so close that I could almost feel it, could almost celebrate the victory of finally capturing it, but it would not give me the satisfaction. Every time, it would vanish just as I was so close I could almost taste it. It was like water, wet and slippery, sliding through before my fingers could ever truly grasp it.

It is all an allusion. Like a rainbow, it is visible, tangible, but never attainable. Only the naïve are foolish enough to run after it.

I was once one of them.

I was young, with idiotic dreams and ambitions floating through my head, and longed to be that special one who would finally accomplish what no one else had done before me. I desired to prove myself, to take down all those I had deemed unworthy. I was determined to prove that power did not only belong to the rich. Nobodies are capable of being powerful, despite what they may say.

My first attempts were rather successful, I must admit. I weaseled my way into the society that claimed to have possession of power. I was an outsider, unwelcome, unaccepted, but I remained there, nonetheless. I was an observer, a double agent, working for them but harboring secret aspirations of my own. But I did learn something very important during that time: power is just as much of an illusion to them as it is to anyone else. The only difference is that they pretend to have it; they act as though they own it. Just another of their fanciful lies.

But watching them act as though they were the only ones who deserved it motivated me. It made me all the more determined to keep it away from them. I couldn't let them win. And when my son died, it shattered my world, but it still did not distract me from my ultimate goal. It did just the opposite. I not only longed to teach them a lesson – I wanted revenge.

I have wasted so much of my life feeling that way. I was blinded by the rewards, not realizing that with every step the rainbow was moving farther and farther out of reach. There is no pot of gold. I've given up all hope of catching it. Then why am I in the Clue hunt? It is an odd question, one I am not sure I know the answer to. At the beginning, it was for revenge. For power. But now? My motives have changed. The ending is near, I can feel it, and someone is going to pay the price. Will it be me? Possibly. But whatever happens, one ambition will remain: preventing others from deceiving the world, pretending to possess something that they will never have.

XoXoX

**I realize that Irina is already dead, but let's just assume that she said this right before her death. Otherwise, it wouldn't really make sense...**


	7. Ian

**Ian**

calculating**charismatic**_complex_

Power is a drug – it's addicting. No matter how much you have, it's not enough.

It never will be.

Your first taste of it is sweet, and it leaves you craving more. And more. And more. And even when you reach that point where you told yourself it would be enough, you are not satisfied. Once you have tasted it, there is almost no hope of going back. The more you have, the more you need.

I know what it's like. I was raised in a world surrounded by people like this. In truth, I don't actually know many who aren't. Maybe that's why I became like them. It was expected of me. They trained me to love power more than anything else. They told me to do _anything_, absolutely anything, for it. And I did.

I experienced that thirst for power just as my ancestors had done before me. I was no exception. I understand that inexplicable craving for more. That doesn't mean I like it, however. Because, just as I am an addict of power, I am also its victim. I have witnessed the ones closest to me become monsters in the name of power. My family has been torn apart, and it has left me questioning everything that they ever taught me.

I believed what they said. After all, what else was there to believe? All the great people I knew, the ones I aspired to be like, told me the exact same thing. But look where it got them.

I'm not quite sure what to believe anymore. I know what is supposed to be "right," but there are still too many shades of grey. The lies that I once believed so readily still mingle with the truths I have yet to find. But that is still not my biggest problem, the greatest obstacle to overcome. While I have come to realize how ugly the love of power can be, it has not changed me.

I am still an addict.

I still love power too much; its grasp over me is still too strong. I don't want it to be this way, I don't want to stay like this, but there is no miraculous cure to rid me of this affliction. I want to change, and I'm _trying_, but it will take time. I will not wake up one beautiful, sunny morning to find myself completely free of this ball in chains that holds me down.

Do I blame anyone for my problems? I suppose I do, simply because I can't stand the thought of being at fault for my own imperfections, but whoever's fault it is, whether power or my parents, I have to deal with it. I am the one left to clean up the mess. Every day will be a struggle to be free of myself and the influence of those I once looked up to, but I am determined not to give up. A Kabra never quits, even if they aren't quite as invincible as I once thought, and I refuse to be the first. Because, whatever the cost, I am determined of one thing.

I will break free.

XoXoX

**Take into account that this would be an **_**inner **_**musing. Ian would never admit this out loud. **


End file.
